1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to tobacco packages and particularly to re-sealable packages for tobacco products that include a storage compartment for waste products and the like.
2. State of the Art
Tobacco products such as cigarettes are commonly packaged in soft-walled or hard-walled packages, with the cigarettes arranged in side-by-side rows. It is not uncommon for the cigarettes to be partially encased in a foil-backed, paper packet with a fold-over flap overlying the ends of the cigarettes at the end of the package to be opened and with a sealed cellophane outer cover to insure freshness of the package contents.
Access to the contents of the conventional cigarette package is by tearing away the cellophane outer cover; opening an end cover of the package; and lifting of the folded-over foil-backed paper flap.
Once the cellophane outer cover is breached there is no freshness protection for the cigarettes contained in the package and they are exposed to the atmosphere.
Generally, a cigarette user will smoke the cigarettes at a sufficiently fast rate that freshness protection, after the cellophane outer cover has been breached, is not of concern. On occasion, however, and sometimes depending on the atmospheric conditions, the rate of use, and other parameters, it is desirable that freshness can be maintained for longer periods of time than can be presently obtained, once the package has been opened to provide access to the cigarettes contained therein. Also, there are times when the user desires to re-seal the cigarette package to prevent loss of the cigarette contents and/or to prevent damage to the package contents or to the environment. A fisherman, for example, does not want to lose cigarettes in a stream or lake where they will pollute the waters, and much prefers having a re-sealed package that will float, protect the package contents and be easily recovered, if it falls into the water.
In addition, users of tobacco products are often considered to be environmentally irresponsible since all or parts of the cellophane wrappers for packages of cigarettes as well as used matches and the cigarette butts and cigarette filters remaining after cigarettes have been smoked are all too frequently discarded by merely throwing them to the ground at the time of their use, no matter where the user happens to be at that time.